Stark County to host pre-kindergarten special ed class

Thursday

Apr 24, 2014 at 9:00 AM

Tammy Wilkinson

The Stark County School Board approved hosting a special education pre-kindergarten program at Stark County Elementary School in the 2014-15 school year. Final approval is pending an agreement with the Henry-Stark Special Education District (HSSED). Superintendent Jerry Klooster reported at Monday night’s monthly school board meeting that Stark County currently participates in a special education pre-k program at Lyle Elementary School in Kewanee.“Next year it looks like we may have 9 or 10 students in this special ed pre-k program,” said Klooster. “Because our numbers are large next year, HSSED Director Greg Wertheim asked if we would be interested in hosting the program in Stark County.”According to the superintendent the cost of the program to the Stark County district would remain the same but would decrease travel time for students and reduce transportation costs. The district’s special education preschool class would continue to be a HSSED program and would include providing a teacher and an aide. “Because the prospective teacher has a blended license meaning she can teach special education students and regular education students in the same class, the program might be able to serve overflow pre-k students that our traditional program would not be able to serve,” said Klooster. Stark County Elementary School operates a grant-funded early childhood program which currently serves about 40 three-to-five-year-old students per year. The students enrolled are divided between two half-day classes and the cost to the school district is almost entirely covered by a state grant. In other business, Wyoming residents Jim and Peggy Moats appeared before the board to ask if something could be done about a problem with water in the basement of their residence which is adjacent to Stark County Elementary School. The couple said they are continually dealing with standing water in their basement following a rainfall and asked if the school board would consider re-routing a section of the school district’s drainage system. Moats said removal of the home’s foundation and construction of a new basement has been recommended. The board directed Supt. Klooster to investigate the situation and speak to city officials. The couple had approached the city and were told to take the matter to the school board.The school district has received a matching school maintenance grant to help pay for lighting upgrades in the gymnasiums at the Stark County elementary and high schools and the Stark County Athletic Center. After reviewing bids from two vendors the building committee recommended a bid from Graybar Electric of East Peoria of $43,905. Following an executive session the board voted to re-employ the following non-tenured, certified staff members for next year: Taul Noard, Cynthia Liebovich, Bart Frey, Wade Hennig, Courtney Kunkel, Thomas McElwee, Angela McGrath, Michael Smania and Emily Stahl. Approved was the employment of summer school staff at the elementary school: Courtney Kunkel and Crystal McRell; junior high school, Missy Smith and Deb Ford; and high school, Mary McMillen, Amy Milroy, Cynthia Smyser and Bart Frey. Bill Loane was approved as high school summer school supervisor. Accepted was the resignation of paraprofessional Susan VanWassenhove, and high school teacher Sonrisa Nolan, both at the end of the current school year.